Breakdown of Ele terá um contratempo no trabalho?
ele
he
ter
to have
um
a / an / some (all forms)
no
in the / on the / at the (m, f, pl forms: na, nos, nas)
Questions & Answers about Ele terá um contratempo no trabalho?
Why is the future tense terá translated here as "Could he have" instead of "Will he have"?
This is the epistemic use of the future tense. We use it to express doubt, probability, or speculation about the present moment. By asking Ele terá um contratempo?, the speaker is essentially saying "I wonder if he has a setback right now?" rather than asking a factual question about tomorrow.
Could I use the conditional tense teria here instead?
You could, but it changes the timeline. While the future tense (terá) speculates about the present, the conditional (teria) is typically used to speculate about the past. Ele teria um contratempo? would mean "Could he have had a setback?" or "I wonder if he had a setback?"
Is contratempo just another word for a problem?
Yes, but with a specific flavor. It translates best to a "setback," "hitch," or "delay." It implies an unexpected obstacle that disrupts your schedule or plans, making it the perfect word for a hold-up at work rather than a deep, ongoing personal issue.
Why is it no trabalho rather than no seu trabalho?
Portuguese often drops possessives like seu (his) when context makes it completely obvious whose work, home, or body part is being discussed. Adding seu wouldn't be grammatically wrong, but leaving it out sounds much more natural to native speakers.